Tag: HYPE CHECK

What it is. Boxee is the most hyped media center software to ever hit the market. It's supposed to change the way we watch TV, how we discover new content, and solve global warming. Okay, maybe not that last part, but you can only expect so much from what amounts to a prettied-up version of the open-source XBMC (Xbox Media Center). ...

Most point-and-shoot camera makers are marching in lock step -- all introducing features such as fancier face detection, higher light sensitivity, and larger LCD screens. Casio is playing along, but it's also adding more-powerful image processing -- allowing its cameras to capture photos in high-speed bursts, shoot slow-motion video, or track fast-moving subjects. What it is: Casio's EX-S12 (and ...

What it is: Samsung's new Memoir cell phone (available only on T-Mobile) is all about photos; take a look at the back of the phone, and it's all but indistinguishable from a pocket-sized digital camera (and about the same size, too). More importantly, this flash-equipped cameraphone wields an massive 8-megapixel sensor. Samsung opted for a large touch screen for operating the majority of the ...

We were able to get our hands on an Amazon Kindle 2 a few days before today's ship date. The next-generation e-book reader is lighter and thinner, has a longer battery life, and now includes text-to-speech capability, but for $359, is it worth upgrading from the original? More importantly, is it ready to replace your books? (Possibly, if you plan on reading or buying 72 books in the next ...

'Little Big Planet' What it is: 'LittleBigPlanet' is rather unlike anything else you've experienced on a video game console. It's Sony's hope to bring alternative gamers to the PlayStation 3 (PS3) this holiday season, and is a wonderfully charming game to boot. From a purely gameplay perspective, it's an evolution of the fairly standard side-view run-and-jump style games (like the old 'Super ...

HYPE CHECK: T-Mobile G1 What it is: The T-Mobile G1, a.k.a. the Android "Google" phone. Why it's different: The G1 is the first phone to debut the Android operating system for mobile phones, which is Google's entree into the cell phone space (and an attempt to go head-to-head with the iPhone, BlackBerry, and Windows Mobile phones). This means it's essentially a newfangled smart ...

HYPE CHECK: BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8220 What it is: It's the first clamshell-style 'flip' handset that runs the much-beloved BlackBerry operating system (OS) for mobile phones. Why it's different: Thanks to the aforementioned flip design, this BlackBerry looks more like a phone than a smart phone, which will please those who like to do their work (or e-mailing/texting) discreetly. The Pearl ...

HYPE CHECK: Peek What it is: The Peek is designed for those looking for the simplest way to check their e-mail on the go. Unlike BlackBerrys and iPhones, the Peek is an e-mail-only device: No Web-surfing, Google-mapping, or anything else. Essentially, it's the layman's e-mail device -- bring it with you when you're gonna need to check your mail, and when you don't, just bring your cell phone ...

What it is: The latest installment in the free-roaming, crime-spree-filled video game series, 'Grand Theft Auto IV' is perhaps the most eagerly anticipated title of all time -- of this year, anyway. And, with the bevy of perfect scores being applied before and since its release, it stands to possibly be the most highly rated game of all time as well -- again at least until some other new ...

Dyson D24 Vacuum Cleaner digg_url ='http://www.switched.com/2008/04/12/hype-check-dyson-dc24-vacuum-cleaner/'; What it is: Even those of you who wouldn't consider yourselves vacuum cleaner fetishists have heard of Dyson's line -- you know, the one you see advertised on TV, that promises to change your (vacuuming) life. Well, the ambitious designers at Dyson have released their latest, ...

Hype Check: Palm Centro What it is: Palm's Centro smartphone is the PDA pioneer's longest leap yet into the world of consumer phones, sporting the functionality of the larger Treo 755p in a smaller candy bar form factor. It has a full QWERTY keyboard, and supports all the features (and third-party applications) Palm users have come to enjoy. A version of the Centro has been out on Sprint, but ...

When we first reported about the upcoming launch of Dr. Dre's Beats high-end headphones, we expected a mix of both parties' aptitude for doing things big and right. We got a chance to take the new skullpods for a test run last night, and our expectations were spot-on. Sound Quality Without getting too technical, we can confidently say that the Beats handled all the frequencies thrown at them ...

Hype Check: Gibson Robot Guitar On December 7, guitar enthusiasts around the nation will be able to get their callused hands on the Gibson Robot Guitar, a first-of-its-kind, self-tuning instrument packed with a computer and motorized tuners. This special edition Les Paul will initially only be available in limited quantities -- 10 guitars for each of 400 retailers across the nation. What it ...

Hype Check: Amazon Kindle Last week, Amazon.com CEO Jeff Bezos unveiled the Kindle, a new electronic book reader that has quickly become one of the hottest gifts of the holiday season (in fact, the device's first run sold out in a mere 5 and a half hours!). We got our hands on one and have been busy browsing, buying, downloading and reading e-books, -magazines, -newspapers, and blogs for the ...

Hype Check: CulinaryPrep What it is: CulinaryPrep is a device built to prepare your food and eliminate food-borne bacteria, including in the process. How it works: You put your food (non-ground meat, pork, poultry, veggies), eight cups of water, and an all-natural powder (citric acid, salt, etc) into the canister, screw on the top, and use the included tube (which stretches from the main ...